U.S. patent number 6,286,800 [Application Number 08/364,665] was granted by the patent office on 2001-09-11 for note paper holder.
Invention is credited to Khathrinah Russ Bliss, Tristan P. Junius.
United States Patent |
6,286,800 |
Junius , et al. |
September 11, 2001 |
Note paper holder
Abstract
An elongate note holder for paper and the like which is mounted
to the topside or lateral side of a CRT computer monitor 21 which
serves as a retainer to vertically display notes and the like so
that the user may easily insert the notes into the holder and make
ready reference to the information contained on the note and then
easily remove the note after the use is completed. The note holder
is an elongate structure with a socket 10 with generally the
cross-sectional shape of the letter U encasing two adjacent tubular
resilient members 12 and thus forming three grooves for holding
notes along the length of socket 10. The multiple groove design
multiplies the number of notes that may be individually organized
and manipulated without having to bunch unrelated notes together
after the length of the first groove is filled with notes. Socket
10 is comprised of two parallel lateral walls 10A connected by base
wall 10B. Base wall 10B is substantially perpendicular to the paper
being held and is the wall used to mount the note holder to the
topside or lateral side of a computer monitor.
Inventors: |
Junius; Tristan P. (Omaha,
NE), Bliss; Khathrinah Russ (Omaha, NE) |
Family
ID: |
23435525 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/364,665 |
Filed: |
December 27, 1994 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/442.2;
248/451; 248/918; 40/658 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
1/1611 (20130101); G09F 1/10 (20130101); A47B
2200/0094 (20130101); Y10S 248/918 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
1/16 (20060101); G09F 1/10 (20060101); G09F
1/00 (20060101); B41J 011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/442.2,447.1,451,453,316.2,316.3,918 ;40/658,642
;211/89,120 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Berger; Derek J.
Claims
We claim:
1. An elongate note holder for a CRT computer monitor
comprises:
a generally square U-shaped channel having a base wall and two side
walls connected thereto, said side walls extending generally
parallel with one another outwards from said base wall, said side
walls being substantially transparent and each having outer
edges;
CRT monitor mounting means mounted on said base wall whereby said
note holder is removably mountable on a CRT monitor;
a generally cylindrical, flexible and resilient securement tube
having an outer surface, said securement tube mounted on said base
wall within said channel, said securement tube extending axially
generally parallel with said side walls of said channel with at
least a section of said outer surface of said tube resiliently
contacting the inner walls of said side walls along the length of
said securement tube, said securement tube being a closed cylinder
such that said outer surface is continuous; and
said securement tube and said channel adapted to releasably secure
sheet material between said securement tube and at least one of
said side walls of said channel when said sheet material is
inserted between said outer surface of said securement tube and
said inner wall of one of said side walls where said outer surface
of said tube resiliently contacts said inner wall, said securement
tube being resiliently deformable thereby to releasably secure said
sheet material between said outer surface of said securement tube
and said inner wall of one of said side walls.
Description
BACKGROUND: FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a holder of paper notes and the like
which may be attached to the lateral side or topside of a CRT
computer monitor or other flat surface to serve as a retainer to
display and store notes and the like so that the user of the device
may easily insert paper into the holder and make ready reference to
the information on the paper and then easily remove the paper after
the use is completed.
BACKGROUND: DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART
Many office workers spend a considerable amount of time using small
paper notes, messages, memos etc. There is often a tendency for
numerous of these notes to be present simultaneously and create
desktop clutter and disorganization for the office worker. Millions
of office personnel use computer monitors of the cathode ray tube
(CRT) type at their workstations. The present invention takes the
flat unused surfaces on the topside and lateral side of CRT
computer monitors and equips them with a device to hold and display
the numerous small paper notes and memos that otherwise tend to
create clutter and disorganization on desktop surfaces. Heretofore,
no one has utilized the elongate flat unused areas on the lateral
sides and topside of a computer monitor with a correspondingly
elongate flat surface mounted note holder with low profile lines
and able to releasably hold and display a plurality of small paper
notes adjacent to each other so that the user can individually
manipulate one note without disturbing other notes adjacently
held.
There are a number of copy holding devices for use on computer
monitors. Most of these types are of the nature of an arm or planar
structure which protrude far from the perimeter from the monitor to
form a rigid platform or structure to brace the paper and then to
clamp the paper with a clamping devices such as a spring clip or a
gravity activated roller. This type of device is common and useful
for holding standard 81/2".times.11" office paper. This type of
device is not useful for holding a multiplicity of smaller paper
notes for simultaneous visual display. For example, releasing the
spring clip will release all the notes instead of just one. Gravity
activated rollers are similarly cumbersome when trying to
individually segregate and manipulate one of a number of small
notes.
There are a number of elongate resilient note holders with some
similarity to the present invention. All are lacking two important
features of the present invention. They are all designed to be
mounted to an exterior surface on the backside of the holder which
is a surface parallel to the plane at which the paper is held. This
mounting surface is on the wall of the holder opposite and
substantially parallel to the gripping or bearing surface wall. As
a result, these devices are not able to be used on the topside or
lateral side of a computer monitor. Second, there is only one
groove for receiving paper. Thus, after the length of the single
groove is used, additional notes can only be held by bunching them
with other notes, often unrelated, instead of having another groove
along the length of the channel to individually hold and manipulate
the note.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,517 by Odd B. Kapstad issued Mar. 8, 1977
represents an elongate, rigid channel with a leaf spring which
cooperates with a shoulder on one wall member to anchor the sheet
in the cavity. This design, like all other elongate resilient
holders, only has a single groove to hold paper. U.S. Pat. No.
4,629,075 by James E. Hutten issued Dec. 16, 1986 and U.S. Pat. No.
4,773,545 by Graham R. Jones issued Sep. 27, 1988 have resilient
members with similar geometry to Kapstad's leaf spring design, that
is, they form only one groove for the insertion of paper. U.S. Pat.
No. 5,251,766 by James A Barry issued Oct. 12, 1993, represents an
elongate sheet material holder with a brush strip instead of a
sheet-like resilient member as used by Kapstad, Hutten, and
Jones.
All of the above resilient designs anchor the resilient member from
a wall parallel to the bearing wall where the paper note is clamped
by the resilient member. Kapstad, Hutten, Jones, and Barry all
mount to an exterior surface at an angle that is substantially
parallel and not at a 90 degree angle to the paper being held.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly, several of the objects and advantages of our sheet
material holder are:
(a) to provide an elongate note holder that mounts to the flat
surfaces on the lateral side and/or top side of a CRT computer
monitor.
(b) to provide a note holder low in profile and matches the contour
of a CRT computer monitor and does not protrude excessively beyond
the side perimeter.
(c) to provide a note holder that easily and conveniently holds one
or more paper notes, memos, or cards in a vertical plane that are
quickly and easily inserted and securely held for display and
reference for the user and then easily removed when the use is
completed without disturbing notes adjacently held.
(d) to provide a note holder where the resilient member is attached
to the base wall which is substantially perpindicular to the
bearing wall where the note is held.
(e) to provide a note holder with one or more an arched resilient
members across the elongate open side end of the holder which
creates a multiplicity of holding grooves and thus multiplies the
number of individual small paper notes that can be individually
segregated and manipulated without disturbing adjacent notes or
requiring bunching together a multiplicity of unrelated notes after
the length of the first groove has been filled.
(f) to provide a note holder that is made of transparent plastic so
that writing on the edge region of the paper can be seen inside the
note holder.
(g) to provide a note holder that is inexpensive to manufacture and
is affordable to the public. Because of the simplicity of the
design, this invention can be manufactured with a minimal of
manufacturing steps. All or most of the invention can be made of
plastic that is readily available. Material and labor costs will be
low per unit thus enabling this note holder to be very affordable
to the public.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a
consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows a frontal perspective view of invention holding paper
notes and mounted to the topside and lateral side a CRT computer
monitor.
FIG. 2 shows a lateral perspective view of invention mounted to the
topside and lateral side of a CRT computer monitor.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment
with the resilient members glued to the socket.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment
with the resilient members clipped to the socket.
FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of
the multiple groove design formed with double arch one piece
resilient material.
FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of
the multiple groove with single arch resilient member and wall
mount.
FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment with
a single groove and equipped to mount on a CRT computer
monitor.
REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS
10 socket
10A lateral wall
10B base wall
10C cradle
10D notch for clip
10E retaining structure for double arched resilient member
10F retaining structure for single arched resilient member
11 attaching mechanism for computer monitor
12 resilient member
12A crease in resilient member
14 groove
15 attaching mechanism for wall mount
16 clip
20 elongate note holder for CRT computer monitor
21 CRT computer monitor
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A typical and preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. FIGS. 1 and 2 are frontal and
lateral perspective views of invention mounted to a CRT computer
monitor. FIGS. 3 & 4 are cross-sectional views.
The invention is comprised of an elongate, rigid structure or a
socket 10 which encases one or more elongate resilient members 12.
Resilient member 12 forms an arch-like shape across the width of
the elongate open end of socket 10. FIG. 6 shows a single resilient
member 12 used to span the width of socket 10. Each side of
resilient member 12 forms a groove 14 as it bears against the
inside lateral wall 10A.
In the preferred embodiment, resilient member 12 has a double arch
span across the width of socket 10. By using a double arch, an
additional groove 14 for paper holding is created between the
arches as the arches press against each other. The width of this
middle groove is twice the width of the grooves created by the
resilient member 12 against the inside lateral wall 10A.
In the preferred embodiment, socket 10 has the cross-sectional
shape of the letter U with two resilient members 12 connected
thereto. There are two versions of the preferred embodiment as
depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. The versions differ only in the
mechanism whereby resilient member 12 is attached to socket 10 via
base wall 10B. In FIG. 3, each resilient member 12 is attached to
socket 10 at a cradle 10C on the base wall 10B. Cradle 10C has a
complementary curvature as resilient member 12 which provides a
gluing surface and maintains the curvature of resilient member 12.
FIG. 4 shows the preferred embodiment whereby resilient members 12
are attached to base wall 10B with clip 16. Base wall 10B has a
notch 10D to accommodate clip 16.
Resilient members 12 are tubular and have a cross-sectional shape
that is circular or slightly oval and are made of very thin
polyester film. The film has a thickness of about 3/1000's of an
inch. The polyester tubes are pre-formed and are made in much the
same way as paper tubes are made with a spiraling technique.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show alternate embodiments for resilient member 12.
Resilient member 12 has scores or creases 12A which are used in
conjunction with retaining structures 10E and 10F to hold resilient
member 12 to base wall 10B without the necessity of gluing.
FIG. 7 shows the most basic version of the CRT computer monitor
note holder. In this embodiment, there is a single groove for
inserting paper notes.
The attaching mechanism for a CRT computer monitor 11 is located on
the outside of base wall 10B. Base wall 10B is substantially
perpendicular to the angle at which notes are held. The preferred
medium for attachment is two-sided foam tape.
Socket 10 is typically made of transparent plastic by either
extrusion or injection molding.
The word "film" is defined in this invention as a very thin sheet
of smooth, elastic, and flexible plastic. The best kind of film to
use is a polyester film with a thickness of about 3/1000 of an
inch. Other thickness gauges can also work. Its physical properties
of strength, flexibility, and creep make it superior to all other
types of film material in this application. The properties of the
film material are such that it is flexible, elastic, and
transparent. Flexibility is important so that it will easily bend
when contacted by the force of an edge of paper. If the film
material is not flexible enough, the edge of paper may bend and be
damaged and fail to enter the holder. Elasticity is important in
creating the gripping spring force to sandwich the sheet material
between resilient member 12 and the inside lateral wall of socket
10A or between two adjacent resilient members 12.
Operation
The user mounts base wall 10B with two sided foam tape or other
suitable medium to the lateral side or topside of a CRT computer
monitor. By mounting the tape to a lateral wall, the note holder
can be mounted to wall or other flat surface.
With the preferred embodiment, three grooves 14 are available for
note holding along the length of the note holder. If the front
groove is full of notes, the user has two additional grooves to
hold and individually manipulate the notes without having to bunch
unrelated notes together. This is a substantial time and
organizational savings over other note holders.
Socket 10 is dimensionally configured to hold resilient member 12
with some tension on the surfaces that touch inside lateral wall
10A or another resilient member 12. In any event, resilient member
12 must be closer than the thickness of ordinary writing paper to
inside lateral wall 10A or another resilient member 12.
Conclusions, Ramifications, and Scope of Invention
CRT computer monitors are ubiquitous in the work place and also at
home. Small paper notes are often used at the workstation in
conjunction with computers or in addition to them. Messages, memos,
business cards, index cards, computer program prompter notes and
others are part of the plethora of paper notes that can easily
clutter an already crowded desk top or workstation. Heretofore, no
one has designed an elongate note holder for the flat surfaces on
the topside and lateral side of a computer monitor.
The are also suitable flat surfaces around the screen where a note
holder could be mounted on the outside lateral wall 10A but this
location would not be aesthetically pleasing. If space did not
allow a lateral side or topside mount however, a front surface
mount would work well. If the note holder is mounted perpendicular
to the ground on the lateral side of the CRT monitor, it is capable
of holding 81/2".times.11" paper straight enough for reading.
Office workers without CRT computer monitors will find the present
invention useful for mounting on a wall or other flat surface by
mounting on the outside lateral wall 10A with two sided foam tape,
hook and loop fasteners or a magnetic strip.
Although the description above contains many specificities, these
should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but
merely as providing illustrations of some of the presently
preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the
invention should be determined by the appended claims and their
legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
* * * * *